I did the damn thing. I bought a jeweler’s saw (& the many other intimidating smithing tools to go with it), was gifted Vancrafted Studio’s intro to metalsmithing class from my husband, and now I’m over here tinkering away with my torch, some stones, and silver as I slowly but surely learn this new craft. It’s a new romance and I’m a rookie, but I’m already quite in love.
For years silversmithing was a pipe dream to me. The kind of pipe dream that feels so out of reach that you tell very few people about it. Five or 6 years ago I remember being so intrigued and envious when one of my best friends told me her neighbor was a metalsmith. I thought that’s something I wish I could do, but it’s outside the realm of possibilities for me. That takes training, skill, time, and money. With each new home the Army has taken us, I’ve found myself longingly perusing the internet for local silversmithing classes at community colleges or art schools that I’d never take. It never seemed to work out based on our rural location, not enough money, not enough confidence in myself that it’d be worth the investment, and simply feeling too busy to do anything else alongside of raising my babies. I used to half-jokingly tell my husband I wanted to be a welder (and learn to solder jewelry on the side). Looking back now I can clearly see that I would say that because being a welder felt like a more realistic goal than being a silversmith. I didn’t see enough worth in myself to pursue my dream of silversmithing.
I started working with beads and the confidence in my abilities as a maker grew. Beading fit well into my life as a young mother - it was convenient, therapeutic through repetition, and it was just a small investment of time and money. I began to realize that if I put enough heart, time, and energy into pursuing jewelry making, I could do it. My yearning to make art with my hands kept growing. And my confidence has kept growing too. I decided to take that leap into silversmithing.
The idea that I am leaning into most heavily these days is that I am investing in the process of creating art regardless of the finished product that I will make or the success that my little handmade business will have. Because it is within the process of creating in which I find the most value. The process is what feeds my soul. Making a beautiful piece of jewelry that brings joy and confidence into someone’s life is incredibly meaningful to me, but that piece of jewelry is a symbol for something greater. Something deeper that can’t quite be seen. I am worthy of pursuing this artistic dream of mine, and I hope to be able to adorn both strangers and loved ones with jewelry made of fine metal, stone, and a helluva lot of heart.